Reading to Improve Writing and Life

For the last several months, I’ve been reading, writing and coaching a lot more, but sadly blogging a lot less.

So, I wanted to share some insights from some of the books that I was reading. Today, I’d like to discuss the insights I received from On Writing, A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King.

This an older book, and a somewhat odd book for me to read. I don’t like the horror genre much. I tried to read The Stand and it scared me too much. However, I very much felt inspired by King’s book on writing.

If you’re looking for a book to encourage you to take a long view of your writing career, this is a good one. He also gives some recommendations on how to get started and perhaps to get an agent. I also liked that Stephen King doesn’t use outlines. I probably need outlines, but I somehow like that Stephen King proves that you don’t need to use an outline to write best-selling novels.

The funny thing about this book is that the way it helped the most, was that it inspired me to start exercising every day.

Not only does King write and read every day, at least according to this book he walks 4 miles every day. I decided to try a 4 mile plan. I’ve been walking or cycling 4 miles a day for a month and I have so much more energy for writing and the rest of my life.

Daily Contemplation:

Have you read any books lately that have helped you with your writing or life?

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8 thoughts on “Reading to Improve Writing and Life”

So glad you liked it! I loved this book. I don’t write horror either, but there are so many things from this book I come back to again and again. For example, I totally adopted his book on tape suggestion and I probably read an extra book a month that way.

I finally finished Anne of Green Gables, and I know a lot of ppl might not take it to serious, being a book for young adults, but it has helped me understand my son, gave me ideas for parenting, made me a little more patient, and helped my imagination. I’ve wrote two blogs about it already, but I haven’t been in the right state of mind to write my last one on the subject.

It is amazing to me how fictional books can help us with our lives. I like young adult books too.
I get a chance to read some with my sons, though they are getting older, so some of the books I’ve been reading with them have gotten more challenging. Last month, I was reading Sir Thomas More’s Utopia to help my son with a book report. Not such an easy book to read. 🙂

The funny thing is that I’m not particularly following a writing path, but I did purchase and read Stephen King’s “On Writing,” so there is something in me that gravitates to writing, whether I really pursue it or not. It’s good to hear from you Karen, and I know you must be inspiring many with your gifts. Thank you for sharing more about current priority! 🙂

Karen, I recently listened to several online conferences, (webinars, I think they are called) organized by Kristine Carlson, author of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff for Moms… I learned so much, during two of them my husband asked if I was going to be quizzed afterwards because I was taking so many notes (Dr.Sara Gottfried talking about the Hormone Cure and Dr. Robert Brooks on Raising Resilient Children, WOW)… I wanted to just kick myself for not having written a heads-up letting more people know about these talks… There are still a few on the calendar but I enjoyed the first batch a bit more… This is the link http://www.entheos.com/Dont-Sweat-the-Small-Stuff-for-Moms/Play (oops, I think I’m going directly to spam for this…I’ll risk it) big hug my dear friend, Alexandra